Virtuous Hearts
by Her Head In the Clouds
Summary: AU Princess Liliuokalani will soon be the Crown Ruler of Manjipoor after her sixteenth birthday. But after she is forced to flee her kingdom with the help of a young elephant boy, she finds her destiny on the line. So cliche but nice! ON HIATUS.
1. The Beginning

**A/N:** Alright my little 'Kulex lovers', get comfy! This is my first multi-chapter TEP, so woohoo. I actually have about three parts written and ready to post (but I always have a 'looksie' and I'm such a damn perfectionist that my work ends up longer and more detailed as a result), but hopefully that won't be the case if I stay focused on the main reason: I want my imaginative idea to come to life and share with you! I've done pretty good fics over the years without a beta-reader so this story won't be a lost cause, lol.

About this fic: I swear I had it on the brain all summer and don't ask me why it took so long to sit down and actually start typing. Maybe I was just incredibly lazy or not in the mindset but since this month began, I don't know, alot of things have gotten me motivated!

Notes: (1) This is strictly in Manjipoor so other than Alex, Amanda, JB, Taylor, her family – yeah, none of them exist here (as much as I LOVED them in the show, sorry they aren't relevant). (2) Alex is not called Alex here, just call her by her royal name because this IS an AU fic remember? (3) Unless you are brain dead and can't read under story summaries, this is an Alex/Kuru fic so don't be expecting any happily-ever-afters for Alex/Caleb (_Eww_) or Kuru/Zamira (_I will forever be upset with this_). Sorry that's my opinion; hate it, love it, or move on. And finally (4), remember that stories like this are meant to **fun** and **not for profit**, so I'm not doing this to get any mileage outta anyone. It's just for me and anyone else whose interested. So by all means, my **rights are disclaimed** if otherwise noted back to all the original sources of actual preferencing yadda yadda.

Alright! So have fun guys and don't forget to leave your thoughts and questions. Happy scrolling! Oh and _**My Silver Heart**_, this goes out to you too, hun! Muah!

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_**Virtue, Need Not Define Me  
>Part One: Princesses<strong>_

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_"She'll be a star now. I will follow her lead."  
><em>(Open Your Eyes, Andrew Belle)

Princess Liliuokalani was outside in the royal garden of the palace's west wing. The sun was hot and bright without a cloud in the sky to cover the sapphire dome that light up her world. Her world was Manjipoor. Manjipoor was her kingdom, and once she turned sixteen, she would have the right to rule it with the grace and beauty she was known for.

It was a wholesome kingdom with good, common folk and high morals in the regions she and her family directly touched – the east and southern parts of Manjipoor. When asking about West Manjipoor and the Manjipoor of the North, the Princess was met with hard eyes and stern looks; looks and assuring voices that told her that once she became Crown ruler, she would know for herself. Her only concern was to remain with the warmer, friendlier sides of her kingdom. And like a good girl, she listened, with a fleeting sense of curiosity and excitement in her heart.

She was also very special, and her older, and only, cousin, Lord Vashan took much appreciation with her specialties, particularly when other members of their royal family were not around.

"Now, try again, dear cousin," he said slowly but encouragingly.

"Very well, Vashan," the Princess said warmly and with a smirk she lifted her right arm again. Under the hot afternoon sun, she twisted her wrist into an intricate design in midair and when she stopped, the flow of green energy that was emanating from her hand released a burst of light. The light flew toward the old terracotta pot nestled in the courtyard grass and hit it with a sound _pop!_ When the pot broke apart into pieces, the Princess jumped on her satin-slippered feet and pumped a fist in the air.

"_Yes!_"

"Well done," Vashan commented in his sly, ever-calculating tone. He turned his head slowly toward his cousin with a small smile on his face. "I am pleased to know that our short lessons are benefitting your powers in the long run, Princess."

"That's all very well, Vashan, but I think I just got lucky this time," the Princess said with a small sigh as she flexed her wrist to relax its tension.

"Cousin, you're _so humble!_" he exaggerated as he threw a long over her shoulder and lifted his gaze up to the Manjipoorian sky. The Princess followed his gaze.

"It is no wonder that everyone in Manjipoor rejoices at the thought of _you_ becoming the Crown ruler! You think too modestly of yourself."

"Well, it's the truth. I'm just doing my duties."

"Ah yes, but you are so good at it, and you make it look effortless!"

The Princess sighed. Ever since she could remember, it was always '_Princess, you are so good!'_-this, and '_Princess, you will be a great ruler!_'-that. And it wasn't to say that she wasn't grateful or felt blessed for being surrounded by such supportive people, because she was! But… sometimes it was too much and she inwardly hated it when they came up to her with praises. With a quick shove of her shoulder, she let Vashan's arm drop from her shoulders and she walked around him with a small smirk on her face.

"Well, can this _humble, effortless_ Princess request a break then? I'm thirsty," she said cheekily and wrapped the turquoise shawl around her arms and waist tighter as she began to leave the garden. Vashan rolled his eyes and shook his head disbelievingly as he stalked behind her to follow.

"As you wish, cousin," he said playfully. "I'll call for an immediate lunch up in the loft."

Several minutes later, both the royal cousins were sitting in large, gold, woven chairs and eating their lunch in the loft on the palace's third floor. It overlooked the open fields and castle courtyards from a carved balcony of marble and decorated with beautiful flowers by the royal maids. From down below the Princess and Lord Vashan could see the castle workers and peasants who worked around and tended to the castle and its occupants. As they sat in silence, Vashan pulled his sweetened tea away from his lips and looked at Liliuokalani.

"Certainly, cousin, why do you insist on asking me to teach you magic every day, and then rush to finish early?" he teased with mild playfulness.

"Because look at this day! It's gorgeous!" she laughed. She had just finished and after raising her hand, the maids arrived and took the trays of food away to leave the two alone. "It's too nice of a day to stand around and do work."

"But every day is like this, dear cousin. Look at your kingdom!" he exasperated again and thrust his hand in a sweeping motion to indicate her to look out of the balcony and beyond.

"Every day the sun shines bright. Manjipoor is a land _smiled_ down upon by our ancestors. This whole kingdom belongs to our family. It belongs to you… Never will there be a day where it won't shine like this!"

"I suppose that's true. I can't recall a day where it was never sunny the whole day through," the Princess pondered before smiling to herself. Vashan stretched in his chair and relaxed himself.

"Then _why_ come up with an excuse like _that_ to skip out on your duties?" he asked bored. "Surely, I've taught you _something_in the art of lying!"

She rolled her eyes. Since they were kids, they were the only children around the same age who could be allowed to see each other, so naturally the Princess grew up learning and playing with him. He taught her everything fun about being a royal, while her mother, Queen Nefari, and the council of the Elders taught her everything that was right.

"You have," she insisted. "But… I'm sorry, Vashan. I just couldn't concentrate. The day! It's just so… wonderful. I just want to go out and walk around the palace!"

"Surely you mean, _within_ the palace walls."

"Well…"

When no other reply came, Vashan sat up in his seat and stared at her with sharp eyes.

"You don't mean… _outside_? Do you?"

"Vashan," she tried to start but he stopped her.

"Unless accompanied by either me, your mother, or the council, and a band of guards, you know that you're forbidden to go down there right?" he questioned her with a raised eyebrow. Liliuokalani huffed.

"I know all that but-!" before he could interrupt her again, she rose from her seat gracefully and stepped over to the balcony and looked down past the courtyards and palace gates to see the colourful, little huts and tents dotted before the forest.

"Vashan, _look_ at how… lively they are! There is a life down there that I have never seen fully for myself!" she practically sighed in fascination as she watched little blobs of people moving about.

"Those are my people down there…" she whispered. Vashan raised both eyebrows and crossed his arms thoughtfully. Then the Princess turned to look at him.

"How can I truly rule Manjipoor when I don't even know what they do for me?"

"But you do know, cousin," he said quite annoyed as he looked back into the castle halls, not even caring about what she was seeing. "They are commoners, they work for this castle. They live hard, dirty lives and they love you. What more do you need?"

When no immediate answer came, Vashan turned his head slightly to glance at his cousin. She had rested her arms on the balcony edge and leaned her head down to continue staring at the village.

"I bet they're happy…" she mumbled softly. Vashan didn't hear as the breeze captured the sentence with her lips.

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**A/N: **So what do you think so far? Part II will be up soon. And remember, any and all feedback is valued. As a juvenile actor, I know how important my audience is because they are the ones who'll help me to improve in different areas. But lol enough talking, I hope you enjoyed this initiation chapter! Get ready for the rest. ;)

**Soundtrack: **Music is one of the main instigators of scene creation as I'm sure you know. So I'll share with you the songs that played as I wrote this. This week: _Open Your Eyes - Andrew Belle, The Ladder._


	2. The Boy

**A/N:** Hey guys, sorry I didn't post this sooner! With my chase on my other stories and Thanksgiving being all over the place it was heard to sit and get this edited before posting hour! Thanks for the reviews! Now here's Chapter 2. Special thank you to 4everyoung. ;) Cuz you're so darn sweet. Also, I apologize for my simplified writing style; I really wanted to go all out and make my scenes descriptive and eloquent, but I felt so tired after trying to get my whole idea on text that I didn't want to run out of fuel. So formulate the environment as you see fit! Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own The Elephant Princess.

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><strong><em>Chapter 2<em>**  
><strong><em>Part 2: Elephant Boys<em>**  
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_"Looking back, I wince at the careless way I tossed out my opinions. "  
><em>(Luke Ford)

Down in the castle courtyards, where the Princess and Lord Vashan could not see from their lunch on the balcony, the common folk and villagers of East Manjipoor were running about attending to their daily duties and errands.

The sun was hot on their backs and sweat ran down their necks as they fanned themselves and sought quick shelter under the large trees. The market workers went in and out of the castle gates carrying baskets of goods and important papers needing to be delivered, while castle workers stayed their regular posts and looked over their duties respectably. But not every castle worker was moving about the region so diligently; many of them were within the castle attending to certain activities that they couldn't leave. Among the maids and butlers, the court attendees, and the royal council, the lower servants to the castle's elite were preparing for their second session of martial arts training. Known as 'elephant boys' and 'elephant girls', they were the youngest trainees of the castle who would become non-royal councilors, aids, and advisors to the Elders and the royal family. Knowledgeable in areas of affairs about the different sectors of Manjipoor and giving 'commoner insight' on royal decisions, many of the servants came from different regions of Manjipoor, even as far as Manjipoor of the North, and were as old as 22 years of age.

Among the youngest of the group, as they stretched and did quick lunges across their straw mats, was a sixteen-year-old boy named Kuru. He came from West Manjipoor, the poorest of the four regions and grew up a hard life before being accepted for the royal training at 14 years old. It was an honor that he gratefully thanked for and after packing what little he had from his life in the slums, he moved to the small village that sat outside the palace walls. When he wasn't scheduled to do his mandatory training and readings in old political and magical texts, he made small money in the village marketplace running small errands.

As he finished coming up from a stretch of his right foot, another elephant boy came bounding in and knocked him in the side with his rolled up mat. Kuru stumbled forward with wide, brown eyes but when he realized it was only on his friends, he gave him a small, knowing smirk.

"Got up a little too late there, Servo?" he asked the eighteen-year old. Servo grinned and proceeded to throw his leg back, trying to hit Kuru playfully in the stomach.

"Nah, just got held up by that girl Mina in the royal kitchen," he answered as he quickly went to roll his mat out in front of Kuru and did a couple of a quick jumps.

"But we're not allowed in the royal kitchens," Kuru replied as-a-matter-of-factly as he went into four phases of defensive stance with the rest of his class. When Servo was done jumping, he went into a long stretch of his arms and turned his head back to give Kuru a small glare.

"_Shh,_ I know! But don't go mouthing off about it or I-!"

"Gentlemen when you're done sharing her village gossip, can we _please_ get back on schedule?" their instructor, ,a 23-yr old young man with long, wavy hair and his hands placed respectively behind his back, called out slowly but quite loudly. He looked annoyed and bored while the rest of the students snickered to themselves. Typical big-shot Servo and know-it-all Kuru were at it again.

"Sorry," Kuru answered back humbly before giving Servo a quick look and shutting his mouth. Servo rolled his eyes but he nodded his head to the instructor and they began their session. It was their last one before they were ranked up from servants-in-training to full-time students.

After a grueling hour in under the hot sun, filled with meditation, breathing exercises, and going over the correct stances for defensive attacks, the class was set to obstacle courses made of bamboo, timber and banana leaves. Kuru, being one of the most agile of the class passed through the obstacles with ease. He ran and jumped, hopped and flipped many of the walls in the best time. Then, it finally came to the sparring matches at the end of the session and their instructor had special announcement for them.

"Today, as part of your final test for the year, you will be evaluated on your skill in combat. Whoever wins with a total of three, will have the privilege of meeting with the royal Princess Liliuokalani." Instantly the class erupted into excited whispers. Servo grabbed Kuru around the neck and whooped.

"The Princess! _Ha_, can you believe it?" he grinned. Kuru scrunched his face as he tried to get his friend from off of him.

"I must, seeing as it is part of the announcement." At this Servo rolled his eyes. A female student and friend of theirs who overheard Kuru's comment butted into their conversation. Although the Princess was rumored to walk about the marketplace and meet with few townsfolk, none of the students had ever seen her. Many of them came from far off regions of Manjipoor in recent years, and before then, the Princess was considered too young to go out into public as of late.

"No, idiot. Think about it: one of US gets to meet with the Princess! I heard she's very pretty," she said politely but it was all Servo could do to scoff at her words.

"Pretty? _Just_ pretty? I heard she's goregeous! ...Imagine getting to be in her presence! I think I might die."

The girl smirked and retorted, "Really, that's all you need? Should've known that sooner. It would do you some good."

While Kuru laughed lightly as Servo let go of him to throw a playful punch at the girl, another student near the front raised his hand to ask a question. Instantly the class died down and the instructor nodded his head. The student proceeded.

"So, what are we to do in her presence? And why such an honour now?" It was a smart question and everyone honed in on the instructor's answer. He smiled.

"The progress of your training has reached royal court ears, and the Elders see it fitting that the future protectors of the royal family should get this one opportunity. As for what one of you will be doing in the Princess' presence," he stopped and reached to a cart stationed by two guards with combi-sticks. From the low shelf within, he pulled out a box wrapped in sacred cloth or gold embroidery and presented it to the class. The students, including Kuru, gasped slightly - they were tutored in the royal traditions and practices to know what that meant from their texts.

"The Sacred Tiles," their instructor said proudly as he held them up as high as his head. He smiled as his students straightened their backs and a fire grew in their eyes. "The Princess has studied in the art of magic already, but these tiles will be presented to her as a gift before her birthday." Then the instructor turned back around to place it back into the cart. Then the instructor went to stand beside it.

"She knows not of their existence and by request of Queen Nefari, one of you, should you win the sparring match today, will present them to her in an honoured meeting." Every nodded. He continued, "It is a gift that we in Manjipoor are most proud of, since the Sacred Royal Elephant disappeared many years ago. It is all that is left of her."

Kuru listened somberly as he knew the story about the Royal Elephant. When the Princess was born, the sacred elephant, who was known to have magical powers and belong to the royal family, mysteriously vanished with a man one night and was never seen of again. Since then, multiple warrants for arrest and searches for the man went out all over the kingdom, in hopes that the elephant would return. But no clue was ever found and so the kingdom had to rule on without her. Some of the Elders and previous royals said it was a bad omen and that terrible things would happen - and with the King dead by assassination and Queen Nefari ruling in his stead, so far they had one right.

"Now then," the instructor rose his voice over the students. "Let the match begin."

As the sparring continued amongst the twelve students, several of the dignitaries from the Royal Council of Elders and the higher officials of the castle came onto the castle grounds to watch the combating commence. Several of the students got their butts severely whipped and were kicked out of the 'tournament', grumbling to themselves that they could've done better and missed their chance at meeting the Princess. Among the ones winning, Kuru and Servo were beating out the students with quick-thinking and prowess, almost making it looks like child's play and impressing the dignitaries who came. Servo at his second-to-final match was beat out and after kicking up the dirt in defeat, he turned his cheering and attention on final match and, you guessed it: it was Kuru, who was facing one of the older students. Kuru flexed his arms methodically as he watched the older boy prepare to go into a stance. He had a bigger build and Kuru was only partially intimidated by him and more amused. He heard Servo cheering with the rest of the defeated students behind him in the grass.

"Come on, Kuru!" Servo yelled. And then the instructor raised both hands.

"Are you two ready?" he asked. Kuru nodded and the older student gave a gesture with his head, smirking like Kuru was sushi. The instructor looked onto the crowds and threw his hands down, yelling, "Good luck to both of you. Now, _begin!"_

No sooner had their instructor thrown down his hands, did Kuru's opponent take a running start at him, going to take a aim at Kuru's shoulder blade. Kuru dodged it instinctively and came up under the right hook to his chest, and sending a powerful jab to the older student's abdomen. He groaned in pain and went down on one knee. Kuru normally didn't want violence if he could have it his way, but when he used the offensive, the instructor sometimes commented that Kuru could be the most lethal man in a fight. No sooner had the student gone to the ground, did he rise up again, using his momentum from leaning forward to try to knock Kuru over like an elephant. Kuru jumped back just out of his path and took the moment to catch his breath, holding up his fists in a defensive pose now that he had time to calculate his moves. Momentarily confused as to where Kuru went, the older student stopped in his run and turned around to give Kuru a small smirk.

"Didn't know you could move like that, Kuru," he said more impressed than he wanted it to sound. To that, Kuru smiled and licked his dry lips. It was too hot a day to be doing this, but he'd do it anyway.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he said with a tease in his voice. Servo cheered again and the rest of the students clapped. The instructor stood amongst the royal guests with his hand behind his back, proud of his star pupils battling it out. Kuru hopped on the balls of his feet anticipating a move from him and when it came Kuru was ready. The older student shouted in a war cry and ran full speed at Kuru trying to aim a right punch directly at his torso.

When Kuru threw a fist out to deflect it, the older student reached for his hand fist that he knew was coming as a counterpunch. Kuru felt his eyes widen as the older student was ready to twist it out back his back and at the last second, with his logic, Kuru executed the perfect high kick at his midsection, throwing the older student's balance off and momentarily releasing his hold on Kuru. Kuru took that second to pull away and sweep into a low spinning kick that completely threw the older student off his feet. Then like a cat, Kuru throw himself on his side and reached for the student's arms and in a perfect hold, he held his arms in a bend that make the older students call out, "Yield!" And the class jumped up cheering.

With a pant, Kuru released the older student's arms and helped him up. After they shook hands, and the older student threw a pat on Kuru's back, the rest of the student's surrounded him and gave him congratulations. Servo jumped to give Kuru and bear hug and lifted the sixteen-year-old off the ground. Kuru smiled sheepishly, not comfortable with all the attention, but still glowing from his victory. When the celebration died down, the instructor came up to Kuru and the rest of the students back off with a bow. Kuru, was now standing alone in front of his instructor, went to bow as well.

"Kuru," the instructor started as he waited with his head bent low. "Well done." And that was all that needed to be said, when Kuru lifted his head, he found the instructor and the royal guests from the council smiling down on him. He had never felt so proud.

A half hour later, Kuru had returned onto the castle grounds from the communal showering rooms with a fresh new uniform and a damp cloth around his neck. He and the rest of the students had donned on new white trousers and white shirts with a beige vest to signify their end-of-year training. He was still known as an elephant boy, but everyone who saw him wearing these robes would know he was now a respected and tutored pupil in the royal castle. To make it more personal, Kuru put on his black, woven necklace around his neck. As he finished drying his hair, an apple came into contact with his chest and Kuru clumsily went to catch it. Although he was a skilled fighter on the mat, once off it he was just his goofy, slightly detached self. Servo laughed and hopped down from the stone ledge that separated the castle grounds into sections. He jogged over to Kuru and gave him a slap on the back.

"You sneaky, _sneaky_ devil," Servo snickered as he shook his head. As Kuru placed his towel around his neck again, he gave the older teen a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about?"

"All that humbleness! Those innocent looks! You had us all fooled, Kuru!" Servo kept his arm around the sixteen-year old as he led them up to the side entrance of the castle where castle workers and servants were designated to use. Kuru shook his head.

"I'm afraid that I still do not follow..."

"You keep on pretending like you don't give a _sacred date_ about the Princess or not! Like she's nobody and that you're just doing your job. When in fact, you hide all those moves until the last fight just so you can ensure a meet with Her Heinous! Ha, it's brilliant!"

Kuru scowled a little and lifted Servo's arm from off of him as went to walk faster. Servo sped up to catch up with him because although the eighteen-year old was more buff than Kuru was, he didn't have his long legs and the strides were hard to keep up with - which was precisely what Kuru wanted.

"I wouldn't do that. And I actually have no desire to see the Princess whether I do or don't."

"Really now?"

"Really."

"So tell me this then?" Servo retorted as he jumped in front of Kuru and halted him in his walk. Servo crossed his arms.

"Tell me you've never even thought about the Princess. You can't have been that snide or dense to not wonder what she might look like." Kuru narrowed his eyes slightly but kept his tone light nonetheless.

"I am not snide," he replied calmly. "Or dense, I just think that-!"

"What?"

"What?"

"Well, what _do _you think?" Servo pressed him with a raised eyebrow.

"I think..." Kuru started as he tried to find his words. "That she is a probably a very proper and regal young woman. Can't be more respectful of her image than that."

"Respectful?" Servo asked sarcastically.

"Well, considering the way you and the other boys talk about her, you make her out to be this shining ray of unmatched beauty when you have never even gazed upon her once," Kuru said quite proud with himself.

"Well so what if we do? We're guys!" Servo laughed as he and Kuru began to walk again.

"All the same, you shouldn't jump to conclusions. What if she is not all you turn out to be?" Servo rolled his eyes at Kuru.

"That's doesn't matter to us, we're just goofing off and daydreaming!" Servo laughed again and shook his head. "See that's what you're missing out on Kuru. You're too different."

Kuru slowed in his step, taken aback by Servo's accusation. "In what way? Am I not one of the guys?" Servo smiled at him quickly and then proceeded to look ahead.

"Of course you are. But you gotta stop being so prim and proper all the time. Relax a little and indulge in the simpler things!" Kuru crinkled his eyebrows and looked forward as well.

"I will," he said slightly uneasy. "Once all my duties to this castle and the royal family are fulfilled."

"And when is that? When you're forty? Hate to break it to ya, Kuru, but we are going to be here for very long t-!" Servo stopped and let his sentence fall to the ground as he and Kuru approached the stairs. Both of them saw their instructor and two royal dignitaries from earlier at the match standing at the top with their hands behind their backs. Kuru and Servo both dropped into a kneeling bow before lifting their heads.

"Kuru," their instructor called out to him and Kuru got up and took a step forward. And when the instructor saw him, he smiled. "It is time to prepare you. For Princess Liliuokalani"

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**A/N:** So, great huh? Kuru's introduction already at the start of the story - and uh oh, he doesn't seem to keen on meeting the Princess. Remember this is different time in where he already knew about her and I guess... his attitude is more fired. As well as his fighting! I hope that fight scence wasn't too complicated; I just wanted to establish that he's capable of it, espeically when he'll need it in teh future. See how role reversal can sorta work? Alex is more passive and while Kuru can't take shit. It's gonna be cool to see their characters grow and .. omigosh, I didn't realise how impossibly long this was! :O But there you go! Lots of things different going on here; some things I did modify from the show but I wanted my own touch on my idea and I hope everything that needed to be explained was said in this chapter. If not, let me know so I can fix that kay?

**Soundtrack:** Lots of music when it to make this chapter-sandwich possible.

(1). Gunslinger, Avenged Sevenfold (2). Gravity, Sara Bareilles (3). Breathe You In, Thousand Foot Krutch (4). You Make Me Feel, Cobra Starship (5). Carnival of Rust, Poets of the Fall (6). Broken, Lifehouse

Well, until Chapter 3! Have a good week, and don't forget to review!


	3. The Start

**A/N: **Okay so this was going to be updated weeks ago but then I had to go and be a dork and accidentally delete it while decluttering my comp files. On top of life, well ...let's just get this party started. Get comfy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't The Elephant Princess, its characters, or so write to solicit profit. No duh.

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**_Chapter 3_**  
><strong><em>Part 3: The Start<em>**

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Kuru's palms grew sweaty and his throat was dry. Imagine him, not having even lived in Manjipoor of the East since before the last four years. He was the kind of boy who grew up contributing to stupid gossip with the slum boys, imagining the palace as a giant rock mountain where the royal family wrapped themselves in colored scarves and sat around all day looking pompous like Neir the market royal dates seller. And now here he was, trying to stand as still as his shaking legs would let him before the ornate oakwood double doors that would open him, the maid servants (who kept adjusting and cinching his new white student robes), and the royal decrier who would announce his name and gift to the Elders and royal family. They had prepared him with a brief set of instructions and after an hour of waiting for the scheduled time of gift presenting, Kuru was ready to meet Princess Liliuokalani.

"Oh goodness..." he breathed under breath both anxious and a little indignant. The decrier heard him mumble and leaned forward to his ear to whisper his suspicions.

"Do not stress, young student. You will only get to do this once. So for the time being, just imagine to the time after when everyone will express their jealousies to you. Heh, a lot of fun that will be right?"

Kuru raised his eyebrows briefly and muttered, "Right."

He still was not very happy about all this hype and propriety of bestowing a box of puzzle tiles on a virtually invisible princess. For all he knew he could be giving a box of dried crackers to a perfectly dressed donkey. Either way, he still didn't care.

The decrier looked out to an open window across the hall and after assuming the correct time of the hour, he addressed the maid servants to leave. With one more attempt to smooth his naturally messy dark brown hair, the maid servants left hurriedly out of the presence of the opening of the doors and left the decrier and Kuru. He huffed as the older man gave a curt nod to the royal guards of the throne room doors and with both hands grasping on each golden handle, they pulled them apart slowly. The trumpets within immediately began playing a soft melody.

An instant rush of the smell of spices and incensed oils wafted drunkenly into Kuru's nose. The warm air within the throne room wrapped around his body. But although it was all warm and bright from the extra lit candles and the orange hue of the day's setting sun in the large windows, the sense of intimidation and inferiority seeped into his spirit. The doors hadn't even fully opened and just the sight of their feet at the high chairs unnerved him.

"Student," the decrier hissed quickly behind him. "Keep your head down!"

Kuru instantly dropped his head to look onto the crimson carpet roll and its golden embroidery. He counted to twenty to ease his heart rate and by the time he heard the trumpeters ended their royal song, the two were already fully inside and standing perfectly still before the royal court. The decrier started,

"Royal counsel, before I start I want to pass onto you the thousand thank yous and wishes for continuing success that the royal students and instructor, Rajnol, has passed onto me. They were honoured by your request to have one of their own participate in such an honour long before their due time. They all trained very hard, but I have here before you, the finest, most recently-graduated pupil of those boys and girls. Number one in book studies of our royal histories and customs, and the winner of the Manjipoorian martial arts student competition, he is the most worthy candidate among them to present the..." But Queen Nefari interrupted, hastily, but with good intentions.

"And please let them know," she said calmly with a coquettish smile on her face, "that we appreciate his efforts and those of the class for striving to be the perfect royal aides that we will need of them one day."

The decrier hesitated to start, but laughed shyly. "A-ah, of course, Your Grace."

Kuru didn't have to look up to know the queen was genuine. Everyone knew Queen Nefari was very beautiful for her age and had an incredible sense of style that the girls always wanted to copy. But he wasn't sure how her character was – everyone tried to think highly of her but higher-ups would lie about anything to the rest of Manjipoor if it meant they could keep their jobs. Kuru was pleasantly surprised to know that he was in the presence of, and under the rule of a grounded woman.

The Queen smiled to the decrier. "You may continue."

"Thank you, ah... so ahem, yes as I present to you, Princess Liliuokalani..."

Until now, Kuru was not aware that she would be in the room too (but then squashed that idea when he remembered who the gift was going to) until he heard the light jingle of gold bands and scarf charms and clack of royal heels step from the throne room chairs and onto the carpet toward him. When they stopped, he knew that within a couple of seconds he would be looking onto the Princess for the first time in his life.

"...the early surprise gift for your sixteenth birthday, as requested by your mother, Queen Nefari..."

He'd finally be the only boy in his village, and his class, to ever lay on her.

"...the gift of the Sacred Royal Elephant Magic Runes..."

And confirm once and for all-

"...presented to you, by our honoured Elephant Boy..."

-that she was nothing more than a-!

"...Kuru."

And at the sound of his name, Kuru lifted his head and felt his eyes widen on instinct. He was more dignified than to say he let his mouth drop to the floor. But all the same, the rumours and gossip were true, even without any supported evidence... because Princess Liliuokalani was beautiful.

She was shorter, smaller than him. Slender and regal wrapped in a bright orange belly top and floor length skirt with golden embroidery and a pink shawl wrapped at her elbows (just imagine that one outfit from that episode I can't remember lol!). Her wavy, chestnut hair was tied in a side ponytail and cascading over her shoulder, while a headset was crowned on her head and a sapphire jewel to bring out her ice-blue eyes sat on her forehead. She smiled softly up at him as her eyebrows came back down from rising so high on her forehead.

The Princess said nothing for the first moments at the end of the decrier's address. This was a first time she was allowed to meet a boy other than Vashan who was around her age and not of her family. Kuru was a tall boy for his age, with swirling dark hair and eyes and sun-kissed complexion. Her breath caught in her throat under his tight gaze. She could see intelligence, insight into a world she had never known about, in his eyes. And a sort of humbleness. A confidence in himself. And ...something else that she didn't quite get. She was good at reading people's faces, but Kuru was somehow strangely tough. Perhaps because he was not of the castle, he had a different air about her. It both intrigued and scared her.

"Kuru," the Princess breathed slowly, trying his name on her lips. It felt good. "I..." but she lost her voice and looked down instead onto the satin-wrapped box in his hands. "Thank you, for the early birthday present."

"If I may point out, Your Heinous," Kuru started and felt the sharp eyes of all the elders and the decrier lock onto him, but he did not lift his face from hers, "this was a gift from Queen Nefari. I am... merely the presenter." She twisted the ends of her scarf nervously. Kuru was a very intimidating boy. She turned around on her heel to curtsy and grin to her mother.

"Thank you, Mother," she said gratefully. Queen Nefari nodded and mouthed an 'I love you' before letting her daughter go back to speaking with Kuru. As the Princess turned back around, she curiously and suspiciously, noted of the sly look her mother gave her. The Queen wasn't blind.

"May I... see them?" she asked him weakly. By now the sun was gone from the horizon and the evening sky was darkening. Kuru nodded curtly, mumbling a 'Yes, your Heinous,' and went to start removing the cloth from around the small chest. The Princess took a subconscious step closer to him and Kuru looked up at her quickly, wondering why. They stared at each other for a few more moments...

Then an explosion from a distance sounded. Everyone in the throne room quickly grew skittish, running around as the council got up from their seats.

"What was that?" a female Elder of the council demanded with wide eyes. The other council members surrounded her and contemplated their next move. Several guards around the room ran to the windows to see.

"There is a fire in the market, your royalties!" one of them cried, "It is huge! I think it have been deliber-!" The Princess screamed as suddenly a spear shot through the window and impaled him in the chest. When he dropped dead, Queen Nefari rose from her throne and tightened her fists before any of the council could react.

"An attack!" she said sternly. The Princess turned her head to eye her vividly. She'd only seen her mother as vehement under this kind of pressure when her father, The King has died. The Queen continued, "We must evacuate the town!"

"No, your Heinous," one of the male Elders spoke, "you must not leave the palace. Should you be absent, the rebels will take it as a surrender!"

"I did not say _I _will leave," she replied hotly. She turned to the Princess and spoke to the room, "Everyone else who is neither formally assigned to guard the kingdom or capable of doing so under royal decree, must immediately head for Banshu village in the South. The secret gates at our swamp borders will protect everyone quickly once there."

"But Your Grace! Please listen to reason, perhaps it is not even a rebel attack-!" but one more of the council Elders who spoke up was hit with another spear. The Princess screamed again and shut her eyes. Queen Nefari eyed her carefully. Kuru did the same.

"My mind is made up," she finalized, "Vashan, gather the royal guards with Elder Vas and tell them to begin mounting defences around the walls and throughout the village. Use whatever magic you can to aid you." The Princess' cousin stepped forward and bowed, muttering a quick 'Yes, Queen Nefari', before walking out briskly with the middle-aged council member. The Princess opened her eyes and watched helplessly as he passed her with a fleeting gaze.

"Elder Hakise and Decrier Tom, you head for the market and tell the townspeople of my evacuation plan-!" Suddenly another explosion was heard and a portion of the castle sounded like it was falling apart. Screaming was growing outside the windows. "And hurry!"

"Yes, My Queen," they said simultaneously and left. Kuru was baffled, what was he to do now that the Decrier was gone? The Elders and the Queen began to hurriedly talk amongst themselves, while other than Kuru and the Princess, they were the only ones, save for the twelve Elite guards who suddenly appeared for the Queen and her daughter.

"And what about you, your Grace? What are you to do?"

"I will accompany you and my daughter to the deeper chambers of the castle for protection and return upward to continue maintaining order for Manjipoor. Elder Alori will be the one to stay with me." But the Princess stepped forward with a frown on her face. "No mother you can't do this!" but Queen Nefari turned to her and gave her a coyote smile.

"No one comes onto our kingdom and should expect me to step down. I'm sorry dear, but I must fight."

But the Princess shook her head, "T-Then I'm coming with you!"

"No, you are my only child and the heir to the Crown. Your protection is more the priority than mine, so stay within the chambers until all is well."

"But-!" Queen Nefari rushed to her and clutched her face in both hands.

"Liliuokalani, _promise _me you will do the right thing and _obey_ me once more, this time," she said softly but firmly. The Princess shook under her hands but nodded vigorously. As she spoke, the screams and noises of a disaster growing were getting louder outside. And a flickering orange light like fire burned brightly around the room. She continued, "They will want you the most and should the rebels break through our barriers, _you _must be willing to fight with every fibre, every thought of you! Do you understand?"

"I ...I-I do!" And with a curt nod, the Queen nodded with her, kissed her forehead one last time and pushed her gently toward Kuru as an afterthought. She turned to the rest of the room.

"Now everyone, let us proceed to the chambers!" and she, the Princess, the Elders, Kuru, and the elite team of royal guards hurriedly flew out the throne room and through the palace hallway. The princess went to reach and grasp for Queen Nefari's hand who clutched it tightly. Using her magic she released a bright flow of blue magic and began opening up all the doors leading to the lower chambers.

"Lili!" she called over the sound of the fighting and explosions, "Help me to open the rest of the doors!"

The Princess, still scared, shakily conjured up her flow of green energy and helped her mother extend the entrances. Kuru followed behind them in the circle surrounding them and the Elders by the royal guards. A loud explosion was heard close by and a yell from one of the guards made several of them jump. Some sword fighting was heard.

"My Queen! They are right behind us!" a guard cried. But they kept moving under her order.

"Move faster, my friends!" she cried as she enchanted a nearby statue to life and made it fight off the rebels pursing them from behind. Several appeared in the front at the end of the hallway in black robes.

"A-assassins!" an Elder cried. Kuru's eyes widened. He had never seen one before.

As they rushed forward, two guards headed up for them and got into a well-hand to hand combat. Suddenly a loud explosion blasted a wall open beside them and threw them off their feet. The Princess let go of Queen Nefari's hand in the moment and panicked. The dust was like a thick fog and made it impossible to see.

"Mother!" but everyone was already scrambling to their fight, but the Queen was rushing them off.

"Go! GO!" and they all continued moving in blindness. The Princess grabbed for her hand but she pushed her away. "Move on ahead and don't look back!" The Princess tried to turn but the Queen grew angry. "Kuru, take her hand! Guards, with whoever else can go, leave now! I must fend them off and heal those who have fallen!"

The dust was still thick but the Princess felt a firm hand grab hers in the dust and yank her along. Her mind was bugged and slow from the daze of the explosion and by the time she remembered what she was doing, Kuru had pulled her along a different hallway away from the blast.

"But what about-!"

"No Princess! We must get you to the chambers! You are the highest priority right now!"

"B-but how you do know where it is? It is a secret to all those not part of ro-!"

"An elite guard has passed onto me the information, but we must-!" But when they turned another hallway, an explosion from the floor above had created a landslide barrier that was impenetrable. Kuru vexed under his breath while the Princess rushed forward to touch it.

"We'll never get through!" she cried as she clumsily tried to conjure a destroy spell to materialise the rocks bit by bit to clear a path through. But Kuru grabbed her hand again.

"No, Princess! There's no time! ...I know a way!" he said hotly.

"Where?" and when she turned around to look back to the other end of the hallway, she realised that they were the only ones who had made it out of the explosion. The thought made her move to start running back for her mother, but Kuru tugged another way. "This way! Come on!"

Suddenly a rebel rushed through a low window and charged for the pair. Kuru was ready to let go of her hand and run for him when the Princess twisted her wrist into a intricate symbol and made the water in a nearby drinking basin magically lift up and flow like a snake into the man's face. Being momentarily blinded by it, Kuru rushed forward and ducked sideways from a swipe by the man before he executed a right jab to his shoulder, making him drop the flaming torch. Then with a low-spinning kick, he made him trip and he fell to the ground. Before he could do much else, the Princess appeared beside him and touched two fingers to the rebel's forehead.

"Sleep," she commanded quietly and instantly he dropped into unconsciousness. Kuru stared at her wide-eyed.

"Remind me later not to anger you," he said before jumping back up and grabbing her hand. They hurried to the royal kitchen to find it empty but cluttered with broken and fallen utensils. Kuru hopped a cooked chicken on the floor while the Princess grabbed a loaf of bread on the counter to wrap in her scarf as they headed for a spice closet. They quickly ducked in and Kuru threw a spice shelf carelessly to the floor beside him before yanking open a secret small door that revealed behind it.

"How did you-" but Kuru was already pushing her through.

"We are not just taught politics and martial arts here, Princess. Move!"

When they both got through, a deep incline into the darkness began. The Princess tried her best to keep up with Kuru but the slope of the dirt hill was hard. Eventually they ended up in some cold water. A small canal from the castle grounds ran through there and Kuru grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him through it. He could care less about if she thought this was all improper or inappropriate. It was up to their knees and they were running from rebel fighters. This was real life.

When they reached the end of the water and the shallow water rose up to a small slope, Kuru tried to feel for the iron latch to the final door on the wall. With a loud pop of rust and push, the door grinded open and the evening sky and fresh air welcomed them both. It was dark and the Princess was sure they were on the farthest, yet-to-be-touched side of the castle. They rushed out and heard the cries of people in the distance. She whimpered greatly but Kuru grabbed her wrist again.

"Princess, we must go!" and with a self-degraded nod she ran along behind him, jumping into the tall bushel of the grass ahead of them and running deep into the forests of Manjipoor.

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The meetup then splitup. So tragic but at least we got here! What do you think? Drop me a review!

**Soundtrack**: None. While rewriting this I was watching 'Day After Tomorrow' airing on TV lol. Don't deny it though, it's gonna happen one day.


	4. The Sever

**A/N: **You beg, you plea, and so you shall will reap the benefits of a new chapter. Haha been a while huh? ;) Hopefully these will come out faster this year. This chapter's sad, to say the least. Enjoy! And thanks for reading and reviewing all my sweethearts!

And ...I did _not_ realize how _atrocious_ my grammar/spelling was in the past chapters. Sorry you had to endure all that! Oh and I changed the title. T'was wayy too long but I'm still not happy with it. Any suggestions?

**Disclaimer**: I did that already so is it ..._truly_ necessary?

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**_Chapter 4_**  
><strong><em>Part 4: The Sever<em>**

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"Kuru, stop! ..._Stop!_"

"I cannot stress how important it is that we arrive at the nearest village for your protection, Princess!"

"No! Enough, I-!"

Kuru came to an abrupt stop, pushing up soft earth under his shoes. The night sky had already ripped across the sky and save for the bright cloudless night, the only light illuminating their way was the orange hue from the fires back at the castle. The Princess halted with a heavy breath beside him and it wasn't until she tried to pull away from his side did he realise he was clutching her wrist very tightly. He let go instantly and stepped back to give her space. Under his deep stare, Liliuokalani immediately felt uncomfortable again but tried to straighten her back.

"What happened?" he asked in a way that expressed his urgency and frustration for halting. "Are you all right?"

"What about my mother?" she didn't bother to answer his question. "What about the rest of the elders? Vashan? My cousin? The roy-"

"Princess, we must keep moving. It was under your m-the _Queen's_ direct order that we get you to safety first! You are the prio-"

"No, Kuru! I cannot leave the castle knowing everyone is still in danger. For all that I know, you and I were the only ones to escape through such a shortcut! ...And don't you _dare_ interrupt a princess."

Kuru did all he could to stop himself from rolling his dark brown eyes in front of her face. As he reached blindly for her wrist again, he took a tiring look of the surrounding swamplands.

"Elder Alori is most likely still with the Queen. And Lord Vashan is much more adept in magical combat than you are, I am sure, which emphasizes _more_ urgency for the two of us to g-!"

"Are you mocking my magical abilities? I will have you know that I am _perfectly capable_ of handling my own battles!" The Princess huffed in frustration. Kuru may be handsome and intelligent and brave, but he was also very demanding when it came to his loyalties. It annoyed her to no end that he was treating her like every other elite in the palace - babying her protection and innocence. She had at least thought that she'd proven herself with the assassin she put to sleep when they fled the castle.

"Of course, Princess," he said on the verge of sarcasm and exhaustion.

"And another thing, you are speaking to the future ruler of Manjipoor. Therefore, my authority gives me final say in the immediate affairs concerning the kingdom. Should this situation not call for whatever decision I choose?"

"Yes, but not when the current ruler of Manjipoor is still in power. Therefore _Princess_, you cannot have final say in running around wherever you want. And I should know because I will one day be a royal advisor to your co-!"

"Stop."

Kuru couldn't help it. He rolled his eyes.

"_What?_"

Liliuokalani froze in her stand as a soft breeze blew across Kuru's face, and while it felt like nothing to him, it sent an energy rush down the Princess. She shivered and her fist shook in his hand. He eyed her carefully as his eyebrows creased gently together.

"...Princess?"

She didn't move for a moment before she turned her head slowly in the direction of the breeze. It felt like a powerful force of wind against her cheeks and into her long brown hair. And when she closed her eyes, she felt her body move forward. It took her a while to realise that she was trying to follow it back.

Kuru let go of her wrist and watched slightly concerned. While he had never met the royal family until now, in his studies he had learned that their connection to magic affected them in a way that regular could never hope to imagine. Perhaps the Princess was experiencing a feeling that only she could feel through her sacred flame. Reluctant to leave her though, he leaned his body in the direction she was heading. Then suddenly, she broke into a run.

The Princess lifted her long, orange skirt above her ankles and padded quickly across the wet soil to teh direction of the wind. Her ponytail flitted behind her and Kuru's call to her went unanswered.

"Something is wrong," she mumbled. Kuru took a worried step forward but she was already many metres ahead.

When the urgency in the wind picked up, Liliuokalani tried to pick up speed. Her breath was short and her face grew clammy. As her eyebrows scrunched in fear, the orange light from her burning kingdom grew stronger.

"_No ...no ...please, no_..." she pleaded softly. When she stumbled because of an uprooted tree, the Princess bent down and took off her royal heels, not even grimacing at the amount of mud that stuck to the heels. With them in one hand, and the loaf of bread wrapped in her scarf in the other, she sprinted quicker.

"The wind!" she cried. "...The wind it's...!"

And when she finally came to a stop and looked out to where the wind had brought her, she screamed. Across from the clearing of the tall grass and beyond the farther trees of the forests, Liliuokalani watched as the castle was up in flames. She shook her head as a portion of the west wing, and the same balcony that she and her cousin had lunch earlier, came crumbling down the side. Screams and explosions were still heard echoing in the distance.

The Princess said nothing as her blue eyes drank in the entire image. This was her kingdom, the only home she ever knew, disappearing before her eyes and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Kuru appeared behind her and instantly froze upon seeing the same picture. His dark brown eyes shone like copper in the bright orange flames and his mouth was a tight line of controlled emotion. When it was too much for him, he let his alerted gaze fall on the Princess.

"Mother..." she whispered.

"Princess, please..." he said softly so as to not alarm her. When she didn't react, he leaned his head down slightly so she could see him behind him. "Please ...we must leave. The people of Manjipoor will only continue to suffer more if they do not know you are safe."

But Liliuokalani did not respond. Her lips parted slightly but her blue eyes were wide with frozen fear. And as the wind grew stronger around her, she felt the world grow dark and she slipped into unconsciousness.

X

When Liliuokalani awoke, she wasn't surprised to find it was still dark. The night sky, dotted with the stars of the heavens, opened up above the canopy of the forest while the soft, cool grass weeds of the ground cushioned her beneath. She bolted upright instantly and scratched her head. It was an ungraceful habit she did as a princess but considering she wasn't in her natural place, it was to be expected.

The Princess sat on her knees and pressed a hand to her forehead where a small headache was forming before she realised what was going on. As she did, the shawl she had used to wrap the bread in, slipped off her shoulders. Her arms prickled with sudden goosebumps. Looking around, she saw Kuru, the elephant boy who was escorting her to safety from her castle ruins, asleep soundlessly at a nearby tree. His back was resting against the trunk and while his eyelids were closed, she noted the tense and uncomfortable scrunch in his eyebrows and lips. Keeping silent, she looked up the sky and saw there was no more orange hue from the flames.

"We are far from the castle now, Princess."

With small jerk, Liliuokalani brought her head down to find Kuru's eyes looking at her. His brown eyes appeared black in the dark and his deep voice was velvet against the rustle of the forest night life. She looked all around him to avoid the familiar discomfort she felt under his strong gaze.

"What happened?" she mumbled loudly.

"You fainted," he said simply. Then, pulling up from his rest against the tree trunk, he stretched arms over his knees and tilted his head to hers. "I caught you before you hit the ground and carried the way here before I grew tired."

She lifted her eyebrows delicately before they came back to crease over her eyes. A slight rush of blood to her cheeks came at both the thought of fainting in front of Kuru and the thought him carrying her. "Then why does my head hurt?"

Kuru shrugged. "Perhaps whatever you saw or felt from before you fainted must have backlashed onto your mind," then he paused before continuing, "You seemed ...troubled."

The tone in his voice caused her to look him in the face again but it was too dark to make out a detailed expression. Even the Princess knew when someone was accusing her of something. In this case, Kuru knew she had magically sensed something go wrong at the palace. She paused on the thought for a moment. Her heart dropped into her stomach, but she wouldn't burden him with it. At least, not tonight.

Liliuokalani shook her head. "It was ...just the dread for the future. An omen that brushed upon me. I do not fear that it will come true, not if I fight it."

"So you can sense everyone is all right?"

She nodded hesitantly. "Yes."

Kuru pursed his lips and briefly scrunched his eyebrows before looking away. Then he quickly returned it to hers. "Please get some rest, Princess. We must awaken again in a few hours to continue to the village. I have made sure this that area will go unnoticed by any rebels who head this way. So regain your strength."

Liliuokalani nodded again and went to lie back down again. "I will ...and thank you, Kuru."

"Goodnight, Princess."

She let her gaze fall on him again as he returned into his previous sleeping position and settled into quiet. His fleeting voice sent an uncommon shiver down her arms but the feeling didn't last long. It went away when the vision of what she'd seen before she fainted replayed in her head - her mother falling to the ground in a crumpled heap after a large burst of light had ignited.

And it was all the Princess could do to not cry openly and wake Kuru as she fisted her hands and shut her eyes.

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And queue the reviews! Please do keep them coming ;) I read them all wholeheartedly and I love all your predictions and comments on how this appeals to you. Plus, it attracts others who are sceptics and believe AUs are all written terribly. Lol, stay gold everyone.

** Soundtrack: **ONE, I swear only one track kept playing as this was written. _Hymn For the Missing - RED, Until We Have Faces_. 'Tis be my all-time favourite band from Tenessee and this song _really_ set the mood...

Hopefully there will be less commentary in future chapters - my fanfiction new years resolution. ;)


	5. The HideIn

_**Part 5  
><strong>__**Chapter 5: The People**_

Kuru feels this overwhelming sensation of pain when he wakes. It's partly due to the running he's been doing with the Princess all night, and partly due to the blinding sunshine that pierces his eyelids through the forest canopy. When he blinks them open and rubs the sleep from them, he pulls up into a slow, agonizing stretch to release the twisted knots in his back. Everything comes back to him instantly.

They were on the run. Princess Liliuokalani is being hunted by assassins.

The palace and surely the castle village are down in ash when just yesterday earlier that morning...

Master Rajnol ...his student peers ...Servo ...Kuru rubs his head shamefully. He hadn't even thought of his immediate friends since all of this began. His only concern had been the girl sleeping on the forest floor near him that he couldn't even spare a worried thought about them. He suddenly felt mad at himself. After all his talk about not giving the royal family any satisfaction that he was like other servants - dubiously loyal and grateful to them for their greatness - he had gone and become the very thing he didn't want. He put the Princess above everything else he cared about, and he barely know her still! Kuru rolled his eyes after glancing at her sleeping form. _From now on, I won't ever let any girl's pretty face get in the way of my morals ever again_...

Suddenly the loud crack of a branch was heard from a ways away where they both slept. Kuru immediately pulled up into a crouch. Ignoring the tight pain in his back because he didn't stretch properly, he tiptoed to some far bushes and raised his head over the leaves. At first, he didn't see anything and almost let it pass. Then ...a man in a blue robe sped across his line of vision.

Kuru raised his head higher. The man wasn't being pursued but even as he sprinted across the forest, Kuru could hear his heavy panting. It looked like he was holding something. As Kuru continued to watch, Liliuokalani mumbled tiredly and raised her head gently to look at him.

"...K ...Kuru?" but he raised a hand to silence her.

"Wait here!" he whispered then dove quickly into the bushes and sped off toward the man. The green foliage camouflaged his tall form well from the man, but as if sensing him, the older man he was pursuing suddenly turned around.

"W-who's there?" he cried, "I-I know you're here! Stay away!" but Kuru didn't let up and continued to maneuver through the grass skilfully. It was not something they learned at the Palace, and Kuru was for once grateful to the boys who bullied him and hid from as kid in the slums. As Kuru got near he took note of the man's appearance. He had a clean shaven face, but it was clear he was old. His robe was blue satin, an inexpensive commodity in Manjipoor, and his pants and shoes also looked well-made. Under one arm, he had something wrapped in a cheap cloth and he limped on one leg. It was not until then that Kuru noticed he was bleeding heavily from his side.

Just as Kuru decided to reveal himself to help him, the older man tripped and hit the ground. Immediately, he began to shake as if convulsing. Kuru shot up out of the bushel.

"Sir!" he cried as he kneeled beside him. The old man's face landed on Kuru's, his eyes bulging and his brow growing damp with sweat. Kuru's eyes widened. He looked familiar but he couldn't place the face...

"You are losing a lot of blood, sir. Please, relax your heartbeat so that I m-"

"Kuru!" and when he turned, the Princess was already beside him touching her hands to the old man's face.

"Elder Ming! Oh no, no, who has done this to you?" she cried but Kuru tried to wrestle her hands away.

"No Princess! Let him rest, he needs to rest s-" but the royal council member took a breath shallow breath and shut him up.

"Pr-princess, you have survived ...we were uncertain..."

"Oh Elder Ming," she whispered, "and what of my family and others?"

"I ...I do not... no, no you must take this!" With shaking hands and shiver through his body, he lifted the covered box to her and she took hold of him quickly.

"What is-"

"Protect them. P-protect them, Princess! M-manjipoor will be lost without either of you."

"Who? My family? What happened to Vashan? What happened to my-" but Elder Ming's breath choked in his throat. Kuru and she held their breath as their hearts hammered in their chests. He was beginning to shake more violently but the Princess couldn't let go.

"No! Please Elder! What has happened to the kingdom?"

"Manjipo ...the Q- ..een ...the Queen is...g-gone." And with a shaky sigh, Elder Ming expelled his final breath. Liliuokalani leaned down and cried onto his chest, not even caring when the blood from the gash in his side was beginning to soak into her orange skirt. She was already covered in dirt. Kuru watched pitifully but didn't say a word.

"May our ancestors welcome you in..." she whispered a traditional Manjipoor blessing. Kuru leaned over her and closed the old man's eyes in respect. Then he touched her wrist gingerly before she lifted her head and eyed the cloth-covered box still in her hands. When she pulled the cover away, her eyebrows flew up. Kuru gazed down at it with a slight grimace.

"The Sacred Runes ...he must have took the box with him for protection to Banshu." Kuru had completely forgotten about them and was now regretting not to have remembering them. _He _had been the one to hold them last before the attack started - it should've been his duty to protect them but instead, he must have dropped them in the chaos.

"On my mother's order, no doubt," she mumbled in response as she stroked the carved design of its wooden box. "At least they are with me... but I cannot carry them around in our predicament. They are valuable and will only get in the way."

Kuru raised any eyebrow. "What do you propose we do? Leave them behind because we canno-"

He shut his mouth as she lifted a finger and did a spell over the box before it vanished in a tiny burst of light. When it didn't immediately reappear, Kuru creased both eyebrows suspiciously.

"I have hid it in a special place, a place where I know it will be safe and until I need it. Don't worry Kuru, I know all the magic I need without it..." And once that was said, she place her hand on Elder Ming's forehead again.

"We must bury him," she ordered softly.

"We cannot, Princess. We do not have the time, nor do I have the equipment to do so." But the Princess shook her head and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"A proper burial is in order for respect." And she got up and stepped back away from the body. "Step back, Kuru."

He did so and watched in curiosity as she breathed in slowly and closed her eyes. Then, she lifted her left hand. "I have only done this once since my pet budgie, Tika, passed away." And when she opened her eyes, her unshed tears sparkled under her lashes.

"_Destroy_," she whispered and turned her wrist in an intricate green-glowing symbol. Suddenly Elder Ming's entire body lit up and vanished in a flurry of tiny, white particles. Kuru had no words ...it just seemed, wrong to him. But then she lifted her right hand and performed another spell on the ground where the body had just been. An engraved tombstone and a bouquet of orchids suddenly formed out of thin air.

After a moment of silence, the Princess sighed.

"Once we return to the castle, I will see to it that he gets formal funeral ...along with the others. " Then she turned away in silence and walked back to their resting area. Kuru followed behind her.

"That was ...thoughtful of you, Princess," he said. He felt a sudden feeling of appreciation towards her, but it wasn't enough to get him to like her completely. Not yet anyway.

Liliuokalani knelt onto the grass and fixed her skirt beneath her knees. She nodded a small smile to him before looking down again. "Come Kuru, let us eat before we head off again."

Kuru stumbled in his steps. "I didn't think you would want to leave so soon."

She raised her head at him instantly with an air of indignation. "The sooner we can arrive at Banshu Village for the updates on the ambush, the sooner I can return to the palace and restore power in my ...mother's place."

"Surely you do not think that she is-" but the look she gave him made Kuru stop. In her blue eyes, Kuru saw a deep knowing, a mature understanding about things he did not. Even though Princess Liliuokalani grew up in a bubble, she also had knowledge and connections that not many people ever had in their entire lives. Instead, he nodded quickly and knelt in front of her, not bothering to voice any more similar thoughts.

The Princess still had to tilt her head up at him as they sat on the ground and she blushed as she put her hands in front of him. "Give me your hands," she commanded but Kuru lifted an eyebrow and stared at her incredulously. What was she up to? Kuru may not have been with many (or any) girls since becoming an Elephant Boy, but he had heard strange stories from other guys. The two of them had very limited time to spend doing ...whatever she was plotting. This was not appropriate or necessary.

When she saw his look, she rolled her eyes at him for the first time expressing her annoyance and sighed. Then giving him a very regal look, she tried to stare him down.

"I'm going to perform a Refresh spell. We are both covered in grime so we can't be eating with dirty hands ...and I certainly do not want to enter Banshu Village looking like this."

After a moment of processing her reasons, Kuru lifted his hands across from hers but made a point of not looking at her by turning his head away. People who could do magic were strange and ridiculous - no wonder there was only one group of family who could do it. But when he heard the familiar 'ring' of her green energy, Kuru brought his eyes back down. She had both her hands create rings above his and suddenly in a flourish of light, both Kuru and the Princess were sitting in the grass in their same clothes but cleaner.

Kuru couldn't stop himself from smiling. He had felt a cool sensation fall over him and when it was gone, his skin didn't feel sticky anymore. He felt fresher and his clothes smelt as if they were newly washed. He felt more alert and less tired ...it was a great feeling. When he looked back at the Princess, he noticed with a flush in his cheeks that she also looked the same ...brighter, almost glowing. He coughed awkwardly.

"That was ...wonderful. Thank you, Princess," he bowed quickly but she shook her head with a small, self-prided smile. "It comes in handy when one wishes to sleep in for a few extra minutes before a council meeting without the tiring procedure of bathing."

As she brought out the bread that she had grabbed from the kitchen when they fled the palace, Kuru raised an eyebrow.

"So you don't bathe?" The Princess tensed her shoulders as she began ripping the loaf into four pieces and then again into two. Her cheeks flushed.

"O-of course, I do! You expect me to cheat out of something so necessary with the help of magic?"

Kuru raised both eyebrows briefly at her obvious embarrassment, not at all fazed by it.

"I just assumed since you mentioned-"

"Kuru!" she held up a hand to stop him and he noticed her face was red - from with embarrassed or anger he couldn't tell. "Just stop! We have bigger matters at hand..."

He took the piece she handed him with a quiet 'thank you' and they began to eat in silence. He would bring up that conversation another time.

"Save those last two pieces for next time, Princess," he said after some minutes. The Princess was just going to hand him the third piece after eating her own but dropped her hand.

"Why? Can we not get more from the village?"

"I do not know ...besides, you can make a duplicating spell to create more bread should we need some?"

"Of course but," she said as she put them away in her scarf, "I turn my nose up at food created by magic ...it doesn't seem natural."

"Oh and magically substituting a bath is?" he smirked slightly. Liliuokalani huffed frustratedly and snapped her head at him.

"Just tell me when we're going to arrive at Banshu!" She wasn't going to give him the benefit of an answer and was growing impatient with him. Kuru craned his neck in a stretch.

"We are close... could be another 20 minutes at a leisurely pace when we arrive at their side-gate entrance."

The Princess nodded and crossed her arms to look out across the lines of trees. She bit her bottom lip and it was apparent to Kuru that she was getting anxious. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Have you ...ever been to Banshu Village, Princess?" he asked slowly. She shook her head with a pitiful smile.

"Imagine that ...the future ruler of Manjipoor having not even set _foot_ in the nearest village of her own castle. What kind of royal treatment is that?" she voice ended on a soft note and it caused Kuru to look her in the eye.

"Some leash," he said jokingly to lighten the mood.

"A very short one, Kuru."

After about a minute or so, Kuru got up and dusted off his magically refreshened pants. "Let us go."

X

The walk was silent, but the two were moving swiftly across the grass. They had already lost so much time getting to the emergency village when the Princess fainted and Kuru losing energy from carrying her and deciding to rest the night. Had they ran all night, they might have caught up with the other escaping villagers in the flurry and used the extra protection. But as of that morning, they hadn't seen anyone except for Elder Ming. At least through him, the Princess was able to retrieve the magic runes for her birthday.

It was apparent to Kuru that the closer they got to the surrounding borders of Banshu Village, the more the grass appeared trampled and heavily upturned. In many increasing spots, blood splattered the forest floor and strange tools and weapons littered the ground. When they reached the tall tree-trunked walls that surrounded the village like a fortress, Kuru took a right and walked along the dirt path. "This way, Princess!" he cried when she began to lag behind.

Princess Liliuokalani was only slow in her awe of the construction of this village. They had a long gate protecting their homes and market - why didn't the village outside her palace have one like this? The rebels wouldn't have penetrated the castle walls so easily if they did. It was major flaw she was beginning to notice and regret. But then again, she never knew such a gate could exist for one tiny, village...

"It is ...surprisingly quiet for a refugee village, Kuru," she said and he nodded with a crease in his eyebrows.

"I agree. Banshu is frequently the boisterous district in East Manjipoor, compared to the much tamer atmosphere of the castle village... (_author: I placed the palace in East Manjipoor - a walks way from West Manjipoo_r) ...And with everyone evacuated to this destination, we should have seen _someone_ by now. Something is not right." His voiced worries made her speed up and walk right behind him. She raised her left hand, ready to conjure a spell if need be.

But when they reached the side-gate entrance and Kuru push it aside to let them both through, both their hearts dropped into their stomachs.

The smell of smoke and ash was powerful in their nostrils. The Princess' eyes burned with the sting of smoke and Kuru's couldn't ignore the smell of blood. Neither could count the number of bodies that littered the ground. As they crept through and quickly tiptoed around dead men, women and children, Liliuokalani quickly reached for Kuru's hand and squeezed it tightly. Kuru didn't turn to look at her but continued ahead of her, pulling her along. If they wanted to get to the main village square - where people alive might surely be - they had to get through this.

"We didn't make it in time," she whispered to herself but Kuru heard.

"No Princess, we were lucky. The rebels came here after nightfall. Think of your collapse last night as a blessing. We could've been one of these people."

Liliuokalani didn't say anything. She was too busy counting the number of eyes that were staring at her, still open after death. It was the most traumatic thing to ever happen to her and it was happening sixty times over. She had thought Elder Ming's face was terrible but this ...this was too much. But as she heard Kuru mutter a, "be careful", as they crossed over a group of dead men with poised weapons, she remembered who she was. She was the Princess of Manjipoor, the soon-to-be crown ruler. It would be her job to prevent things like this from happening. She had to create peace for her people so these types of massacres wouldn't ever happen again. She had to give them what they all needed so they wouldn't resort to violence. Like shelters, homes, money for food...

When she saw the body of an old beggar man, lying dead with his bowl for spare coins still clutched in his frozen hand, she let go of Kuru's and walked over. Without even thinking, she took off her jewellery - all her gold bracelets, her earrings, and her small sapphire-encrusted circlet - and dropped them into his cup. Kuru watched but as usual did not say anything. He was confused but felt another sense of appreciation for her.

Suddenly, an angry growl was heard not to far from where the both of them stood and they both looked up. A large man with a round belly brandishing an axe had just knocked back another man with dark clothes and hit him over the head. When the latter fell and didn't get up, the round man suddenly caught sight of them and rushed forward with an angry yell. The Princess gasped and stood behind Kuru's tall frame for protection, although she kept her left hand raised and ready. Kuru bent his knees and raised his hands in the martial art form of defence. He narrowed his eyes, trying to calculate the man's method before he got close enough to strike.

"Who're you?" the older man cried as he clutched his axe tightly. "Another one of them! I'll get you, you foul rebel folk!"

Kuru knew what he meant by his words, but he didn't lower his hands for assurance. "We aren't here to harm you, sir!"

"Oh yeah! They why're your hands raised to fight me? Eh, boy! You want this kingdom just like the rest of them liars and assassins!"

"Please!" Liliuokalani tried to push in, "We're not your enemies! Let us explain, I'm the Pr-!"

"And what about them royal folk? They haven't done nothing, _nothing_ to protect us regular folk over here! They're only concerned with themselves and their precious castle!"

"Sir! Please put down y-!"

"There are attacks going on all over East Manjipoor and you're telling me you survived them overnight? You can't have, everyone's been dead so you _must_ be rebels! I tell you if you're one of them or of the royal court, I'll see to it that you pay for what you did!" And when he got close enough, he raised his axe to swing. The Princess screamed and moved away in fear but Kuru was a forward-thinker and rushed around the downward strike to apprehend him. Grabbing his upper arms to disable him, - the man was large, Kuru was taller and had longer limbs - the axe dropped and he couldn't move.

"Princess!" Kuru cried and she knew what to do. Before the man could think anything of what he just said, Liliuokalani rushed forward and pressed two fingers to his forehead.

"_Sleep_," she commanded and his eyelids dropped. Instantly, the man's dead weight became too much for Kuru and he couldn't find the strength to keep him up. The Princess quickly rushed around him to help Kuru ease the sleeping man onto the ground.

"H-how did he not know who I was?" she asked shakily as Kuru grunted in pain.

"Like you said, Princess. You haven't been around much ...and unless he was in the marketplace on the days when you ventured out, there is little chance of him knowing what you look like."

"Not to mention I do not have my royal crown on my head," she said as she touched the spot on her forehead where the circlet had once been. "Perhaps I should go and retrieve it so-!"

"No, Princess! Imagine how many others are angry with the royal family right now. Do not be the subject of public scrutiny until this settles," but the Princess got up and crossed her arms.

"_Until this settles?_ Kuru, my people are in danger _because_ of my family! I cannot wait until th-!"

"Father!"

Kuru and the Princess immediately stopped arguing when a new voice broke their thoughts. Looking up, they saw a boy about their age and about Kuru's height from a distance gaze at the unconscious man on the floor. He sprinted over and Kuru got up and stepped back. Liliuokalani followed his lead and forgetting her anger with him, she hid behind his tall frame again. The young man had light brown hair, green eyes and was dressed in commoner clothes similar to Kuru's when he was not working in the castle. After a moment of touching the sleeping man's face, the young man snapped his head up at the two strangers.

"What have you done to my father? Savo isn't a rebel fighter but he is sleeping!" Despite the Princess' fear, she spoke up perhaps because she could read in the young man's eyes that he was no immediate threat to her and Kuru. He was just as scared as they.

"I think the better question is who _you_ are! Everyone in this village appears to have been killed, and yet you're still alive! Explain yourself."

Kuru gave her a look that said she shouldn't express her royal powers here but she didn't see it. The young man stood up and straightened his shoulders.

"My name is Yohan," he said clearly with an air of humbleness, "My father and I, along with my sister sought protection in Banshu from the rebels."

"Well, I am Pr-"

"_Lili._ She is Lili and... I am Lann. We were also seeking shelter in Banshu after the castle village was attacked."

Yohan raised his eyebrows. "That is a far run. You are lucky you both got out ...not many did."

When Kuru and the Princess didn't immediately say anything, Yohan knelt down beside his father.

"Thank you for finding my father before any rebels did. Even though many of them have already fled the region, there are few still here hanging around for _fun_."

"We didn't want to let anything bad to happen to him," Kuru said almost sarcastically at the irony but luckily Yohan didn't pick it up as he was putting his hands under his father's body.

"I'll take you two to the shelter. Help me carry him, Lann?" he grunted and Kuru did.

As the two boys proceeded to carry Savo across the village grounds, Liliuokalani sent Kuru a tired look filled with thoughts like "Why didn't you tell him who I was?", "Why did you change your name?" and "That name doesn't suit you", but Kuru couldn't say anything but flash a look back that said "I'll explain later."

They had other things to deal with right now.

Things that didn't involve a princess and an Elephant Boy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N**: A chunky chapter eh? Lol I just couldn't stop once I started writing and well ...now my entire sleep cycle is totally compromised but, what else was I gonna do at 3 in the morning? Sleep? I wanna tell a story so I will damn as well tell it. A lot of things going on in this one? Dead people, **Yohan makes an appearance**, and Kuru lies about their real identities. Lili is easy to transform into her nickname but I've always wanted to use the name Lann in a story. **Lann is pronounced like '_lawn_'.** Thoughts on that name - like or no like? Don't worry, the Princess and third-person script will continue to call him Kuru ...because that's what we all love. :) More to come.

_Music Behind_: 'Hundred More Years' by Francesca Battistelli


	6. The Hideout

**A/N: **Sorry this took a century to update! University has its way of sucking you dry and leaving you to the vultures, haha. But still, all around, I am forever grateful for the support and reviews I've received from all of you wonderful readers. So thank you so much! Now on with the tale...

**_Part 6: The Hut_**

"This way! Hurry!"

Yohan's voice dropped the closer they came to the Banshu Village square and it wasn't long before the three had reached a large hut with smoke coming out the top. The sound of hushed conversations came through the broken bamboo flap that made the entrance. As Kuru fumbled with Yohan's father's sleeping body, the Princess walked along side Yohan in wonderment.

"That's a rather large hut," Kuru grunted.

"Indeed, it was the village council room and the healing hut ...now, it's a sanctuary."

The Princess didn't say a word because she had never seen one so big except tiny drawings of one in the Book of Enoc. The palace market had mini huts half made for sellers but nothing she seen to live in.

Inside, the three were hit with a strong smell of smoke and blood. It was a large room filled with about thirty people, castle workers and villagers alike, tending to each other. A big fire in the center was built to allow the smoke to rise in a hole of the ceiling. One the children got up and ran over to them.

"Yohan! Is father alright?" she cried.

"This is my little sister, Gretel," he introduced Liliokalani and Kuru to her as he pushed through the flap then he looked down at the skinny girl.

"Don't worry, father's just asleep. These two friends of mine just helped rescue him."

"_Rescue?_ From what? Who?"

"Lann, let's set him down over here near the door for fresh air," Yohan instructed as he ignored his sister's piping. Kuru nodded gratefully.

"Of course." As the two moved over, the Princess let her gaze fall on all the sick and scared who survived the massacre the night before. Everyone looked to be in bad shape and it made her heart crack in multiple places. These people ..._her_ people, didn't ask for this to happen. Now in no less than twenty four hours, many of them had lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods they would never get back. It made her blood boil and terrified at the same time. What would happen tonight then? Would the rebels return for a second round? And without her at the palace, without her Mother, what could she-

"Did you help my brother save my father?" The tiny voice broke the Princess' thoughts and she looked down at the little girl. The hope that shone in her light brown eyes fed Liliuokalani's spirit a little. The Princess bent down and nodded her head weakly.

"We were fortunate, we found him just in time."

"And you're ...friends of Yohan's?"

The Princess raised her eyebrows. "We are?"

"Well, that's what he just said," Gretel shrugged. Liliuokalani looked away for a split second to ponder on the thought.

Other than her cousin Vashan, the Princess never had any other friends. She wasn't allowed out of the castle long enough to meet anyone and she personally feared that no one would _want _to be her friend because of her title. Now that Yohan had called her one, she didn't know it could be so easy. She smiled and looked back at Gretel.

"Yes, I suppose we are..."

Gretel smiled back and then went over to kneel beside her sleeping father. As Liliuokalani stretched back up, Kuru and Yohan came back over.

"Thank you again, both of you," Yohan said as Kuru looked around while he stretched his neck in pain. "For saving my father, I'm in your debt."

But Lili shook her head with a shy smile. "No, dismiss the thought. It isn't necessary."

"Lili's right," Kuru supported and crossed his arms, something he did as he thought deeply about a situation. "What's more to be thankful for is his life and the lives of everyone in this hut ...How long have they all been hiding here?"

Yohan raised his eyebrows before he sighed and crossed his own arms. "All night, some said. The raids stopped before the first light of dawn and ever since, all the people that were able to arrive here almost stopped," he turned to his father and sister with a wistful gaze, "The three of us arrived before the sun rose. We live in our small camp ground outside the village but didn't want to risk a raid passing through, so we fled here."

"You were very brave and wise to choose your lives over livelihood," Lili said admirably. Kuru turned his head to look at her with a raised eyebrow but didn't say a word. Yohan was hit with a thought as he listened to her speak.

"How did you two manage to a run all the way from the castle village overnight? Everyone from there has either died of their wounds or never reached in time..."

The Princess' eyes widened. "_Everyone?_"

Yohan instantly felt a bad for terrifying her. "No, I'm sorry. I me-"

"So they haven't returned? The rebels, I mean," Kuru tried to change subjects. He knew the Princess would get upset over this news and he really didn't want to deal with a crying woman, especially when there were more important things they had to do.

Yohan looked back at him and nodded solemnly. "They haven't returned since this morning but we must never let our guard down."

"But what will you do from this point on? Are you going to remain here?"

Liliuokalani watched as Kuru's eyebrows knitted together as he spoke. She could read his emotions so clearly. He was mad and distraught, even if his face appeared hard and calm.

"Lann, what choice do we have? Almost everyone here is hurt. Even if we knew the raid was over, no one is well enough to get up and start moving."

"But _you_ are," Kuru argued, "you could go in search of help and return eventually."

"That may be your plan but people need me here," Yohan made a valid point and uncrossed his arms as he stared at his family again. Liliuokalani followed her gaze and cracked a little more inside. She took a step closer to him.

"Then let us go, in your stead," she said determinedly, "we'll return with help and more medicine while you remain here with your family."

Yohan turned back to her with hope in his light green eyes. "But do you not have family here?"

"My family was in the castle ...v-village! They were still in the village ...when we fled and, no one has yet to jump at my presence since we arrived so..." she laughed weakly. Kuru tried not to look away annoyed with her choice of words when Yohan turned on him.

"What about you, Lann? Don't you have any family?" Kuru gave a sad smile.

"Not for a long time, Yohan..." Liliuokalani stared at him for a long time. Kuru didn't have anyone...

Hoping to change the dark mood, Yohan looked back between the two of them. "How far are you thinking of going to search for help?"

Kuru raised his eyebrows briefly as he came to a conclusive thought.

"Pempa is the next village over but I fear they are in a much worse state than here ...they have no barrier gates," and Yohan nodded in agreement, "so I think we will cross the border and seek help in the market district."

Yohan's eyes widened at the idea while the Princess couldn't say anything to contribute to the conversation. She had never been anywhere and felt helpless.

"You can't go there."

"Why not?" Kuru asked.

"I don't know how it's been since either of you have left the castle village but I heard that recently it's become an even bigger slum than it usually is."

"That's true. The crime rates in West Manjipoor have remained the highest of the four regions for almost six decades," the Princess proudly recited from one of her mother's reports. Yohan nodded.

"Even so, the rebels are sure to make a stop there. It already runs rampant with thugs, they'd fit right in and would want to stay there."

"Alright, so where shall we decide to go then?" the Princess placed her hands on her hips.

"My best bet is the head down south of the border, to the capital city," Yohan said with a jealous smile.

"Southern Manjipoor?" Kuru thought it over. "That's almost a seven day trip by foot..." At the news, Liliuokalani widened her eyes.

"But we'll never make it back in time to help the villagers! I refuse to abandon you all for that long."

"Pr-!_ Lili_..." Kuru corrected to get her attention and stared her down thoughtfully. She flushed under his smart, coffee-coloured irises. "We must think _rationally_, they need help and they need it immediately."

"But I just don't feel right leaving my p-! My friends..." she turned to stare at Yohan. She had never met someone be as nice to her as an equal and she wasn't about to lose a new friend to another possible raid.

"You could always just stay here, Lili," the young man smiled softly. "We need more who can help tend to the sick and I heard the girls from the castle village know a lot than most about the best herbs to use."

Kuru tightened his hold on his arms as he tried not to laugh at the thought of the Princess being a 'regular' village girl. He smiled as he stepped around to stand near the Princess.

"Sorry Yohan, I don't think you'd want her around to help."

"Why?" Then he raised his eyebrows after looking at Liliuokalani again. "Oh, are you a palace worker?"

"Excuse me? Oh uh no, I was a..." she looked back to Kuru for some help but when he immediately back her up with an idea she panicked, "a-a dancer! A dancer from a far away village."

Kuru's head snapped up and Yohan's eyes widened. He grinned. "A dancer? Well, it's an honour then. I don't meet many, but it would explain how beautifully you are dressed."

When the Princess looked down to twist the sparkling pink scarf around her arms, she blushed nervously. She had forgotten she was still in her royal silk dress and heels.

"Thank you, Yohan."

When he nodded in reply, Gretel hopped back to stand with them. She noticed Liliuokalani playing with her scarf.

"Are you two leaving then?"

Yohan thought she sounded rude. "Gretel!"

"What? I overheard you talking," she looked up at Kuru bravely. You're going to the capital city?"

Kuru nodded with a small smile. "It will be a long trip, but we will come back with help for your father. We promise."

Gretel grinned. "Thank you both."

"But you should wear travelling clothes for the trip," Yohan said. "Please, stay before nightfall returns and take whatever we can give you for a more comfortable trip in the morning. I'll ask one of the girls if they can get you suitable clothes, Lili."

The Princess nodded.

"And what about you, Lann? Do you need clothes?"

"Do not worry about me. I am fine," Kuru smiled humbly but Yohan eyed him more curiously.

"Your clothes are strange, I've never seen such a style and colour. Are _you_ a palace worker then?"

Kuru nodded his head. "I am an elephant boy."

Yohan's mouth fell open and the Princess looked at him thoughtfully when his he smiled eagerly. "A double honour then! Elephant boys are extremely well educated and skillful in combat! ...You are so lucky. What I wouldn't give to have such a chance to help my family."

Kuru smiled in return and bowed his head. He knew what Yohan meant when he left everything he had in the slums for the chance to better his life. And while there were many things he detested while living in the castle village, Kuru never regretted his decision to study at the palace. When the moment passed , Yohan left to find the Princess some clothes. Gretel, who was still standing with them, continued to stare at Liliuokalani.

"That's a pretty scarf," she pointed. The Princess stopped fumbling with it and smiled.

"You like it?"

Gretel nodded shyly and Liliuokalani, who had never met a child so cute and up close, bent down and rolled the beautiful fabric into a ball and handed it her.

"I want you to have it then." And the little girl's eyes popped out of her sockets.

"R-really?"

Lili nodded, "Let this be my gift to you, something bright and pretty to hold onto."

When Yohan returned with a small pile of clothes, Gretel had finished hugging Lili and was pulling away to go back to her father. Kuru was watching the two of them with a small smile on his face.

"Here you are, Lili. The changing rooms are in the back."

With a small nod, Liliuokalani pulled the tight hairband holding her ponytail in place and shook out her hair. She sighed tiredly as her long brown locks fell around her shoulder in waves and with a smile she took the clothes from him and walked through the two boys to the back room. She spared Kuru a look at said, '_We still need to talk later. In private,_' as she crossed him.

Kuru watched her leave and when he turned back to Yohan, the young man had a strange smile on his face. He felt his smile drop into a frown.

"What is it?" he asked but Yohan shook his head, still a small smile on his face.

"Nothing. Now let's get you some food."

X

The Princess stared at the long, brown dress for some time before she thought to move again. It was just so ...so ..._plain._ And she felt bad with herself for obsessing over it.

They were in the middle of a hideaway camp, and she and Kuru would be ready to depart in the morning for the capital city! She _needed_ to dress down for the journey and stay in secrecy as a peasant...

"Ugh, it's so _boring!_" she whined pathetically to herself. The plain dress Yohan had given her had only a sash around the waist to keep it tight and the sleeves were too big. It was also very long and would surely run past her ankles. She never thought she'd become picky over clothes like her mother but then again, she always had everything in designer. If anything, she had to make sure the dress allowed to run and move easily for the sake of the journey.

Looking around the empty room, Lili bit her lip and decided to raise her right hand.

"I'm not gonna do anything drastic," she mumbled to herself, "only a little sprucing to make it improve! Just this once..."

She closed her eyes and thought up a simple design in her head and when she ready, she opened her eyes and drew a quick, green symbol in the air...

X

Kuru wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and got up to hand his empty bowl of food to a elderly woman near a pot of water.

"That was delicious. Thank you," he bowed to her and she patted his cheek tenderly. With a smile, Kuru walked back to where Yohan was sitting by the hut's fire and scratched his head.

"I haven't Lili yet since the dinner was contributed around," he asked the young man curiously. Yohan looked up at him and nudged his head at the door.

"Gretel told me she saw her go out for a quick breath of air."

Kuru nodded and proceeded to quickly head out to find her. As much as he hated having to know where she was at all times, he knew he had to for the sake of the kingdom – no one else knew how important she was and Princess Liliuokalani wasn't yet adjusted to this simple way of moving around. When he pushed the flap aside and looked around, he sighed deeply.

The smell of death still lingered and few of the people brave enough to go out in search of food and materials flittered about in a scared frenzy. He stepped fully into the sunlight and squinted, raking a hand through his messy brown hair as he did so. When he walked around to the back of the hut, he spotted her sitting on a lonely stump with her back turned to him.

"Princess," he called glad that no one was around presently to hear or see them, "you must return inside. It's dangerous out here."

When she didn't immediately respond, he huffed softly and furrowed his eyebrows, slightly annoyed.

"Princess, come inside. What're you doing anyw-!" He stopped when he saw a familiar green light glow.

"_Princess!_" he hissed again and strode over more quickly. "Come inside _now_ before anyone sees y-!"

Liliuokalani sighed angrily and shot up from the stump to spin and stare at him. She crossed her arms and narrowed her blue eyes at him.

"How _dare _you!" she whispered hotly. "I can do whatever I wish now, and you have _no _right to treat me like the elders and all the other caregivers I've lived with for years!"

Kuru slowed his step but didn't unfurrow his eyebrows. "But you can't use magic, Pri-"

"_I know that, alright?_" she bit back. "Honestly, you think I'm that careless to just wave it around? I'm not playing with my magic, I was sending a message."

At her words, Kuru pursed his lips in surprise. "To who?"

"My cousin, Lord Vashan. I still feel a connection with him and I wanted to let him know that I remain alright. But the message was only half sent since you disrupted my concentration."

"Oh," he said sheepishly and shoved his hands into his pockets, "I apologize for my interference then."

She sighed and uncrossed her arms, placing them at her hips. "It is alright, Kuru. I am sure that he understood the length of my message. I do not need to send another."

When Kuru nodded and they looked around for a moment in awkward silence, the Princess sighed and rubbed her arm.

"I am ...unsure about this now, Kuru."

"About what?"

"This journey we are about to partake in. I have never been anywhere even remotely this far outside of my comfort and I am feeling out of my element. ...Perhaps I think it _is_ best that you return me to the palace instead and let me-"

"No, Princess. The castle is in ruins now, so there is nothing for you to return _to_. As well, we have already offered our assistance to helping these villagers..."

"But I am ...I'm afraid! What will be awaiting me once we leave this place? Who will we encounter? And what can I do if I can't allow my magic to b-!"

"I _think_ what you're really concerned about is where your place is without your mother."

At his words, Liliuokalani shut her mouth and looked him in the eyes. This boy had already interrupted her multiple times since they met and it was getting on her nerves. But his words really sunk in, and she fell silent.

"You've lived in her shadow for too long, Princess. And although she, and the rest of Manjipoor, have promised you her place as ruler, you have not fully experienced the extent to what that entails ...Honour, independence ...obligation. Now that you thrust into her position with the wrong timing, you must now embrace that and do what she has shown you."

The Princess widened her eyes and dropped her arms at her sides in wonder. A big smile slowly grew onto her face.

"You are ...very wise, Kuru," she admitted tenderly but Kuru shrugged playfully.

"It is one of my most endearing qualities," he smirked slightly, "and reason why I am to be one of your royal court in the future."

The Princess felt surprisingly comforted by the thought of him being around even after this was all over. Without thinking, she bowed slightly to him.

"Then I will be honoured." Kuru's eyes widened and he raised one eyebrow in curiosity. He looked away from her as he coughed awkwardly.

"Your ...dress is fitting," he complimented backhandedly, "for the trip, I mean."

The Princess pulled back up and ran her hands through her hair. "Really? You don't think it's too plain?"

Kuru took a peek back at her. The dress Yohan had given her suited her well. It was a deep brown with a gentle embroidery pattern woven into it and it reached past her knees. The sleeves were short, showing her cream-coloured arms and the neckline scooped appropriately enough to show her throat and collarbone. It hugged nicely around her waist and went well with the simple black shoes she had on her feet. It was all pretty simple, but still held an essence of grace and beauty she was able to pull off. Despite his better judgement, Kuru's cheeks grew pink under the hot sun. He shook his head, afraid to use words.

She sighed thankfully and then walked around him to head back for the hut.

"I'll have to thank Yohan for giving me this outfit but for now, I'm going to get some food," she called.

When she disappeared, Kuru crossed his arms and huffed again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N: **What woes we teenagers have!

More to come!


	7. Announcement

Hey guys,

I want to take a moment to thank those of you who've been reading this story of mine. Really! I appreciate the amount of feedback and stats I'm getting from your interest in the plot and I'm glad you are big fans of the show as I am.

Unfortunately, at this time, I'm going to take a brief hiatus on this story. As in, this story is like, stopping. But only for a some time because I'm unhappy with the rest of my plot and need to rethink the whole story. Hopefully, I'll update soon in the future but don't expect it to start up for now.

I'll continue with one-shots and short EP ideas for the time being and I hope you guys will like those, but again, despite the halt on this story thanks again for reading Virtuous Hearts in the past months!


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